Social media users are graying : Good news for lawyers
As shared by the Baltimore Sun’s Susan Reimer (@susanreimer), a new study by the Pew Research Center shows tremendous growth in the use of social media by older Americans.
It is still mostly young people; almost 90 percent of 18-to-29-year-olds use social media. But 60 percent of those ages 50 to 64 who use the Internet also use social media — double the percentage since the spring of 2009. And the percentage of those 65 and older has more than tripled, from 13 percent to 43 percent of those who already use the Internet for other purposes.
What does that mean for lawyers and law firms?
- If you have a partner my age (57) dismissing the importance of social media for them and the people they engage, tell them they are out of step – that the studies indicate otherwise.
- Older American’s are better equipped to handle to cost of a lawyer for personal affairs ranging from estate planning, real estate acquisitions, or unfortunately, a divorce.
- Many small businesses owned by someone in their 50′s are really hitting their stride. They need lawyers for a myriad of matters.
- My gut tells me that people, including lawyers, age 50 and above value relationships more than younger people. These folks do business with people they know and trust. Social media, blogging included, is all about relationships that breed familiarity and trust.
- Lawyers practicing in areas with an older population such as Florida or Arizona ought to be all over social media. Not doing so puts you at risk of becoming irrelvant. How will you ‘connect’ with people?
Social media is not just for teens and twenty somethings. Social media is a new and innovative way to engage each other. It’s not marketing. Social media is a way to connect with people in a real and authentic way.
Social media sure isn’t going way. The Pew study is further evidence that social media is going to become more and more important for all age groups as a means of building and nurturing relationships.